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Description: Proprietor Elizabeth Ketler want to share a Carmel favorite that lures locals and visitors with its chic style and neighborhood charm. Chef Benoit Petel prepares Modern French Bistro Cuisine.The wine bar opens at 5:30 pm daily. Dinner will be served from 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. nightly. Reservations are recommended at the restaurant. We are open for lunch from 12:00 until 2:00 Friday - Sunday

We came across this restaurant by chance. We've traveled extensively here and abroad and must say this was one of the best meals we've ever had. In fact, I'd say the entire experience was flawless.

We were greeted promptly and warmly. Our server, Jose, was perfect. Affable but not overly friendly or intrusive. His demeanor was warm and courteous and his visits to our table were perfectly timed.

The menu is varied and interesting. Not extensive but not limited either. The wine list is enormous, and for an occasional wine drinker, a bit intimidating. The sommelier was greatly helpful. While you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on a wine there, he understood my desire to limit my selection to something far more affordable. Based on our dinner selections he suggested a $30 half bottle of Cabernet that was perfect.

We began with the Salade Maraîchère - field greens, pear tomatoes served with tarragon vinaigrette. Perfect. Too often restaurants overdo the dressing; this was just right. We both had the duck breast in a raspberry sauce with vegetables and potatoes. The presentation was beautiful. The duck came pre-sliced and arrayed in a semi-circle with the sauce and raspberries atop. It was tender and delicious. The vegetables and potatoes were buttered, but only mildly. It would have been easy to overdo the sauce's sweetness, the seasoning, or the butter but everything was in perfect proportion and degree.

We had different desserts: I had a chocolate "lava" cake (10 minute advance notice needed) and my wife had cream puffs drizzled with chocolate. I had a decaf cappuccino and she had decaf coffee. Once again, perfection. My wife and I complain that too often desserts served in our country substitute sweetness for quality. European desserts generally are far less sweet and concentrate on flavor which is a far more satisfying dessert. These desserts are prepared in the European fashion! The coffee and cappuccino were also right on target.

The final pleasant surprise was the bill. While not an inexpensive restaurant, you will find no better value for your money. The entire meal, with wine, salad, entree, dessert, tax, and a generous tip was under $150. A true bargain for the quality of the meal.

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It's hard to express into words the experience we enjoyed at Andre's Bouchee. The service staff were aware of your slightest need and the food was exquisite. I live here in Carmel and finally a restaurant worthy of thisbeautiful meeting of land and sea. Hands down the best I've seen here inlong time. Undoubtedly, the best rack of lamb I've experienced. Tarragonencrusted in a cabernet reduction sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes withpeeled asparagus, baby carrots and hericot vert string beans. I swear Iwanted to go around again. The medium rare temperature of the lamb was dead on. This family is not just in business, their in love.

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Designer-at-Large

California

Level Contributor

144 reviews

87 restaurant reviews

56 helpful votes

“Cannot recommend!”

Reviewed December 11, 2009

Ordered fish, Had strong smell of clorox bleach. A friend in the restuarant business told me that restuarants will bleach fish to keep it fresh smelling. The other entre we ordered was duck and it was fine, so I guess you can take your chances, but it seems fishy to me. I will never go back as I didn't feel well after eating there.

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skywalker2

san francisco

Level Contributor

7 reviews

3 restaurant reviews

13 helpful votes

“Best Restaurant in Carmel”

Reviewed December 9, 2009

I am a local Carmel resident and recently discovered that Bouchee had changed ownership and is now a family restaurant whose new owner is a French chef trained in Paris. The food is reasonably priced for Carmel and absolutely fabulous - felt like I was eating at a great restaurant in Paris! A 3 course fixed price dinner/dessert with various choices is $35, and regular dinners are in the $20's price range. The atmosphere is casual but sophisticated and friendly. They are open for lunch 5 days a week and dinner 7 days a week. Stopped by for lunch today just as they were closing and they kept the restaurant open just to serve me. Had delicious fresh asparagus soup, salad and a Croque Monsieur for $15...all delicious beyond compare. This is the best restaurant in Carmel and lots of locals are now discovering it.

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Fozmonster

Ivins, Utah

Level Contributor

82 reviews

57 restaurant reviews

41 helpful votes

“wow..heard so much but got less”

Reviewed September 27, 2009

Geez read the reviews and you think this could be the best place on earth. Here is my take...loved the menu but got an over cooked filet and flavorless halibut. Ambiance and local are great and the staff is very nice. What I really didn't like is how fast our waiter poured our $288 bottle of wine. I understand this place has changed hands about 5 months ago.

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